What are these plugs telling me?… and other questions!

[Craizeehair]

I’m hoping some of you clever kids might be able to help a novice spannerer out?

I bought this bike a couple of months ago, with a view to get more hands on and really get to grips with my own maintenance and repairs, I’ve ridden on and off for most of the last 36 years since my first Honda XL125 as a teenager, what I never did was any meaningful maintenance or repairs, usually paying someone else to do it for me. I am happy with oil changes, brakes, cables etc, but engine work, carbs and the like are a mystery to me.

The bike hadn’t been a regular rider for a number of years since a restoration but had a wee run out every year to keep the juices flowing. So it was always going to need some TLC, only I was hoping to do that through the winter in my (hopefully) new workshop / shed I’m panning to build. The bike had a pronounced flat spot from take off and low revs, from throttle off to throttle on. I’m pretty convinced that it has got worse  but that could just be my imagination?

I have only managed to put a couple of hundred miles on the clock so far and today I decided to go for a bit of a blast, about 50 miles in total, with a good proportion of dual carriageway to blow away any cobwebs.

All was going well, when about 3 miles from home and now on smaller country roads, I noticed a noise. It was a bit faint to start with, almost like a wheel rubbing or something catching but only when the bike was moving and not stationary, however I convinced myself that it was more likely coming from inside the engine rather than from something outside. I nursed the bike back home, turned the engine off immediately and had a little panic to myself! I checked both wheels and they seem to be turning freely with no noise when raised off the ground with no play.

I have read plenty on here about how everything needs to be set up right or these bikes can sound very ropey. So I have adjusted the cam chain tensioner (not sure if that did anything as there was no discernible happening to indicate any change) and I also set the valve clearances, some of which were very tight. Tomorrow I will checks the points and static timing. I have no doubt the carbs will need attention too.

So, to the question in the title… after another question. Would it be possible that a combination of these things being incorrect could produce such a noise?

These are the plugs that I removed tonight, 1-4 from left to right. Any advice as to what they are telling me? Too rich? Big Trouble? Carb issues? Run away?

Worth noting that they aren’t all the same plug either, I presume a new matching set of the correct type would be in order.

I have a feeling that I will need to tackle the carbs, which is something that strikes the fear into me, I will need to purchase the appropriate necessities for that, as it is something WAY beyond my comfort zone! Would you recommend vacuum gauges or something like the Morgan carbtune pro?

Apologies for the waffle and the Tommy Tippee beginner questions but I guess I have to start somewhere and you kind souls seem just the type to help me on my way. Thanks in advance




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[Trigger]

Why do you have a mixture of plugs and are they resistance plugs ? They should not be resistance 

[Craizeehair]

Why do you have a mixture of plugs and are they resistance plugs ? They should not be resistance 

No idea? They were in the bike already, I took them out tonight to check them and they are what I found in there. I know I need a new set but that’s a good point about the resistance plugs, which leads me to my next question, how do I know if I have resistance caps or doesn’t that matter and any suggestions for best plugs for these bikes?

[Trigger]

Most caps are resistance these days. The plugs you need for a 750 are X24ES-U 

[Trigger]

Sound like the bike needs a good service and i would change the plug caps .
Spark plugs >>> https://www.gsparkplug.com/1x-denso-standard-spark-plugs-x24es-u-x24esu-067800-1700-0678004130-4099.html

[Craizeehair]

Sound like the bike needs a good service and i would change the plug caps .
Spark plugs >>> https://www.gsparkplug.com/1x-denso-standard-spark-plugs-x24es-u-x24esu-067800-1700-0678004130-4099.html

Thank you, I shall get some ordered


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[Trigger]

Sound like the bike needs a good service and i would change the plug caps .
Spark plugs >>> https://www.gsparkplug.com/1x-denso-standard-spark-plugs-x24es-u-x24esu-067800-1700-0678004130-4099.html

Thank you, I shall get some ordered


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You can get the plug caps from the same company 

[Craizeehair]

Sound like the bike needs a good service and i would change the plug caps .
Spark plugs >>> https://www.gsparkplug.com/1x-denso-standard-spark-plugs-x24es-u-x24esu-067800-1700-0678004130-4099.html

Thank you, I shall get some ordered


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

You can get the plug caps from the same company 

Caps look out of stock


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[Trigger]

Sound like the bike needs a good service and i would change the plug caps .
Spark plugs >>> https://www.gsparkplug.com/1x-denso-standard-spark-plugs-x24es-u-x24esu-067800-1700-0678004130-4099.html

Thank you, I shall get some ordered


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

You can get the plug caps from the same company 

Caps look out of stock


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Give them a call and ask when will new stock be in 
I will have a look at what i have in stock tomorrow. Will have the spark plugs but, not sure on the caps .

[Craizeehair]

Sound like the bike needs a good service and i would change the plug caps .
Spark plugs >>> https://www.gsparkplug.com/1x-denso-standard-spark-plugs-x24es-u-x24esu-067800-1700-0678004130-4099.html

Thank you, I shall get some ordered


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

You can get the plug caps from the same company 

Caps look out of stock


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Give them a call and ask when will new stock be in 
I will have a look at what i have in stock tomorrow. Will have the spark plugs but, not sure on the caps .

Cheers

[Lobo]

As an aside, not sure why you should be ‘stricken with fear’ wrt disassembling the carbs - your basic abilities seem sound!
Certainly understand the comfort zone stuff, but there are 2 questions you need to ask yourself before tacking… (1) will the world stop turning, and (2) will I die? 😂. If no, have a go… just be slow, methodical, use 4 tubs (ie one for each carb), do it by the book, and use this forum. Best of all, no special tools are needed - not even vacuum gauges or a carb tune - assuming you keep them stock and bench set them.
These carbs are not especially high tech, you’ll come away enlightened and somewhat more confident.
Good luck.

[Trigger]

Sound like the bike needs a good service and i would change the plug caps .
Spark plugs >>> https://www.gsparkplug.com/1x-denso-standard-spark-plugs-x24es-u-x24esu-067800-1700-0678004130-4099.html

Thank you, I shall get some ordered


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

You can get the plug caps from the same company 

Caps look out of stock


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Give them a call and ask when will new stock be in 
I will have a look at what i have in stock tomorrow. Will have the spark plugs but, not sure on the caps .

Cheers

Just checked my stock on plug caps and only have one set left which i would keep as, this happened a few years ago with NGK plug caps and you could not get hold of any for a couple of years.

You can test the plug caps that you have on the bike and they should be showing 5 ohms 

[Craizeehair]

Just checked my stock on plug caps and only have one set left which i would keep as, this happened a few years ago with NGK plug caps and you could not get hold of any for a couple of years.

You can test the plug caps that you have on the bike and they should be showing 5 ohms 
[/quote]

Thanks for checking, I just removed the number four cap and it basically fell off in my hand, the connection looked pretty poor, I think that I will look elsewhere and find a new set, I think you’re advice to replace them is the best course of action.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Trigger]

Just checked my stock on plug caps and only have one set left which i would keep as, this happened a few years ago with NGK plug caps and you could not get hold of any for a couple of years.

You can test the plug caps that you have on the bike and they should be showing 5 ohms 

Thanks for checking, I just removed the number four cap and it basically fell off in my hand, the connection looked pretty poor, I think that I will look elsewhere and find a new set, I think you’re advice to replace them is the best course of action.


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[/quote]


You can also use NGK SB05E instead of SB05F for number 2 and 3 cylinders . All you need for the SB05E's is a spark plug nipple 

[Craizeehair]

New plugs and caps fitted now, thanks for the pointers.

The strangest thing happened though, I used the spark plug socket from my set to remove all four plugs with no problem. When I went to fit the new ones a few days later, the spark plug socket would not fit into number three to tighten the spark plug, it just wouldn’t fit, it was too big and absolutely would not fit in the hole!

Luckily, the bike came with the original tool kit and the thinner walled, supplied Honda spark plug tool slipped straight in and worked a treat??

To say I was baffled is an understatement.